Vikings just disrespected Adrian Peterson in an unbelievable way

The Vikings gave Adrian Peterson’s old number out for the first time since he left the team in 2016 and fans are not happy about who got it.

Adrian Peterson is the best running back in Vikings history. He’s also far and away the best No. 28 to wear Minnesota purple.

No member of the team had been given the number since Peterson departed in 2016 and it looked like it was heading for retirement rather than recirculation.

Then N’Keal Harry happened.

The former Patriots first-round selection signed with the Vikings as a free agent over the weekend. Despite the fact that he’s a longshot to even make the roster, Minnesota made the headscratching decision to hand him Peterson’s old number.

Social media called out the decision as madness.

Vikings gave Adrian Peterson’s number to N’Keal Harry and fans are not pleased

But wait! Harry isn’t listed at No. 28 on the Vikings roster. After the release of Cephus Johnson III, Harry apparently picked up the No. 85 jersey.

That doesn’t mean the No. 28 isn’t being used though. Undrafted free agent wide receiver Jacob Copeland is now listed at No. 28.

Yet at practice on Monday, Harry was indeed wearing No. 28.

So it sounds like the number situation in Minnesota is in flux.

No. 28 is a weird choice for a wide receiver, whether it’s Harry or Copeland wearing it. Up until 2021, receivers weren’t even eligible to wear the number, restricted to 10-19 and 80-89. Now, they can wear 0-49 and 80-89. That doesn’t mean they should wear something like No. 28, especially when it holds so much history with a particular franchise.

Harry wore No. 1 in high school and then college at Arizona State. He switched to No. 15 for his first two seasons before taking advantage of the jersey number rule change to wear No. 1 in 2021. Last year with the Bears, he wore No. 8.

Copeland wore No. 2 for Maryland and No. 15 then No. 1 for Florida.